Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Since I don't know what's absolutely right, I can't say what's absolutely wrong - but we can draw conclusions based on instinct, personal bias, and generalities we've so far learned on this journey called life. And we can hypothesize. Everything You'll Ever Need To Answer Any QuestionThis old post explains my method of reaching decisions. The problem seems to enter in thepresentation of "right and wrong". Let me tell you of an actual incident and its outcome.

A little 6-year old girl fell on the playground and was knocked unconscious for a long minute. An hour later she started speaking gibberish, and generally didn't respond when her parents addressed her. Seemed confused. They kept her home from school.

One day her teacher came to visit his former pupil. He sat and listened as the little girl muttered her nonsensical gibberish, then stood and said in shock:

Cutting to the chase, she was taken out of school, isolated from all friends, put in a private academy for accelerated children, treated like a relic, and was a mediocre student. Her grades, at first average, became less so over the years. As a young adult she developed manic depression, hospitalized many times, and now must be medicated to get through life.

Her parents thought she was a "miracle-child" - wanted her special gift to be nurtured. Their intentions seemedright seemed good yet it ended very badly. So what's right and what's wrong here? Should she have been left alone to continue in her known universe, or taken out because she might be gifted?

How do we make decisions? Granted this was a child, but we draw conclusions about people every day and take action based on them - is that right? If I didn't know whoAlbert Einstein was and someone showed me his picture I'd think it was some crazed nut who didn't know how to brush his hair.

At the end of the day, when we resort to thinking in absolutes it's a razor's edge of conflict. Oh and one more thing: the reason she did so poorly in that new school? that teacher was mistaken. It wasn't Greek it was simple gibberish, brought on by a small concussion.

Sometimes we do things based on what we know at the time. As a parent it must be rough to make decisions for their children. Is there a right or a wrong? I think there are lots more gray areas. In the instance you gave the parents should have had the kid tested by a professional before changing her entire life, but again where they wrong? I think they believed they were doing what was best therefore it wasn't wrong, they were misinformed.

I KNEW IT!!! I truly didn't believe she could be speaking fluent Greek, it's not hidden in our head somewhere just waiting to come out, it's still learned.... I would have definitely consulted someone more expert in nuerology that a 1st grade teacher.

I have a profoundly mentally ill son and this really hits home with me. My "line of normal" is adjusted daily. To me, nothing is as it seems. I've learned to watch and listen and think before I react and sometimes my reaction is not immeadiate. To me "right/wrong = black/white and there is too much gray. Anne

We must be very, very, very careful when we make assumptions. I have this in the back of my mind at all times. Thanks for this entry, my dearest Cateri xoxLove, your Maire xoxhttp://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeasonhttp://journals.aol.com/valphish/JoyInTheRain

I do not trust people's judgment who make decisions based on absolutes. There are so many shades of gray in this story. I don't honestly think there is anything like an absolute. I don't honestly think that there is absolute right and wrong on this earth. And what's right for one isn't necessarily right for the next person.Judehttp://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle/MyWay

Sounds like the teacher may have been responsible for the sad results. I do think that people have wanted to think that people could speak foreign languages in their sleep etc Would surely have to be documented well for me to believe it! I always turn Sylvia Browne off. I think she makes too many fantastical claims. But I do think there may be something to some people being able to see and pick up stuff that others do not, just like with math or music, etc, some are much more proficient and understand when others do not. Gerry http://journals.aol.com/gehi6/daughters-of-the-shadow-men/

As I venture through this life, it has become quite apparent to me that what is right for one person, may definitely not be right for another. I thin life consists mostly of grey areas where one may choose based on instinct, or adive from others, or what they read to make a choice. I found in my life that my gut instinct usually is the right one, although at times I tended to not listen to it, and suffered the consequences. To sum up, right or wrong it is different for each individual, based as you say on culture, personal biases, possibly religion or just general happenings in one's life, but life for me the way I see it has many many grey areas, it takes time to see the clear area and go in that direction. If i did not make sense, I am probably in my grey area at the moment. God bless you my dear friend again what a brilliant entry.

There were some absolutes in that case! That wasn't Greek, it was gibberish. And the school wasn't good for her, it was bad for her. Just goes to show you can't always know what you think is truth is the truth, doesn't mean the truth doesn't exist. :)

Thank you Krissy, I always enjoy your view of things. By the way, who's truth do you mean? Also, if you saw absolutes in this piece, it's my fault for not being more clear. This is a perfect example of how dangerous it is to ignore the shadows between "right and "wrong" for as you imply, nothing is as it seems, and I believe that's only because humans are such diversely thinking creatures. The "kingdom" of absolutes is just that: a place of false honor to things that just don't mean anything. Which brings me right back to: *who's* truth?